Hundreds of families in Traditional Authority Nkhanga in Nkhotakota, whose lives were reduced to mere survival after devastating floods swept away homes and food supplies, are now finding some relief after receiving K100 million worth of humanitarian support.
The assistance has been provided by National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc, which donated assorted relief items to 450 affected people as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts aimed at supporting communities hit by disasters.
The donated items include maize flour, sugar, salt, cooking oil and blankets, offering immediate support to households struggling to recover.
Speaking during the handover, NBM plc Chief Risk Officer Charles Ulaya said the Bank was moved to act after seeing the extent of damage caused by the floods.
“We saw pictures of this area where a lot of people were affected and houses were demolished. As NBM plc, we thought it wise to assist the communities here,” said Ulaya.
He added that the Bank remains committed to working with government through district councils and the Department of Disaster Risk Management in responding to such emergencies.
“We believe as a Bank we need to partner with government,” he said.
Nkhotakota District Chief Education Officer Alfred Conscious Chidiwa commended the donation, saying the council alone cannot manage the scale of the disaster.
“We are very happy to receive these assorted items. The council alone cannot manage this problem,” said Chidiwa.
He further urged affected families to avoid settling in flood-prone areas to reduce the risk of future disasters.
One of the beneficiaries, Benjamin Goliath, described the situation as dire after losing both his home and food supplies, and expressed gratitude for the support.
“Our situation has been very difficult. We lost everything, including our home and food. This support will help us start again,” he said.
Authorities say many families in Nkhotakota still require urgent assistance as recovery efforts continue.
